A collection of photographs and essays that explores our understanding of motherhood and female identity.

Bestselling novelist Edan Lepucki created the Mothers Before Instagram project to correspond with the release of this book, which explored themes of art, motherhood, and identity. She started the Instagram account and asked women of all ages to each submit a favorite photograph of her mother before she became a mother and write a description of what the image evokes for her.

Now, Mothers Before will expand the scope of Eden’s initial concept to include photographs and essays from a diverse group of writers and poets-including Laura Lippman, upcoming Abrams Press author Molly Wizenberg, Brit Bennett, Annabeth Gish, Alison Roman, and Jia Tolentino-as well as those of  regular people.

Mothers Before cherishes the transition of womanhood to motherhood by putting words to images that are honest, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always incredibly moving.